Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin under investigation: source: About time!

Gentilly 6 years later

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin under investigation: source: Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the colorful and controversial spokesman for the city after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is under investigation by federal authorities, a source with direct knowledge of the probe said.

The source told Reuters on Friday that several people linked to Nagin or the New Orleans city administration during his two terms as mayor ending in 2010 were cooperating with the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI. The investigation includes whether Nagin received favors or items of value from vendors to the city in return for contracts they received while Nagin was in office, the source said.

I thought it appropriate to resurrect a blog I posted 9/1/05 Katrina, natural disaster man made catastrophein order to put a couple recent stories into perspective. To start with, it was surprising to me to find out that New Orleans even had a levee board especially in light of the damage incurred. You would have thought their job would be to secure the levees.

Census Finds Hurricane Katrina Left New Orleans Richer, Whiter, Emptier : Government aid to Katrina residents often helped the most affluent, Lower Ninth Ward: Still Recovering. They rebuilt the New Orleans they wanted not the one we had

Census Finds Hurricane Katrina Left New Orleans Richer, Whiter, Emptier What a surprise huh? NOT!

New Orleans population nearly 30 per cent lower than before Hurricane Katrina It has been 6 years but we were right on!

After Katrina: A tale of two recoveries

Government aid to Katrina residents often helped most affluent

Lower 9th still recovering There is good reason for it and as you know, it was on purpose.

Starting with mayor Nagin him and all authorities Federal, city, and State should be held accountable for the years of neglect.

We know now how sad a state of repair some of them were in. Instead they established an Airport and a marina. They also played a role in establishing a floating casino, top of the line fiber optic system, and spent 2.4 million on a Mardis Gras fountain and left the 9th street levee in the poorer area of the city in particular in a state of disrepair.

This was all nice for businesses and the elite whose areas suffered relatively light damage. The poor did suffer the brunt of Katrina and Rita. The devastation to these people in the first place occurred because of criminal neglect by authorities and local officials on every level. I contended that this natural disaster was allowed to clean out New Orleans of what the elite thought of as undesirable elements and failed for years to do it themselves.

Now the are largely out with many choosing to stay out. I contended that the wealthy elite, largely white, and the politicians will now be able to rebuild for their own interests. We thought New Orleans might now become a Republican city. This all seemed a distinct possibility especially with the French Quarter, the Convention Center, and the Garden District, were all largely high and dry and largely intact.

It seemed obvious that the poor sections were now cleaned out and the housing projects gone compliments of Mother Nature and not God as Mayor Nagin ridiculously stated, and supposedly not from any design of mans. Along with these areas went much of Mayor Nagin's ill mentioned chocolate aspect of New Orleans.

We knew that enough of the poor and the blacks if you will, will be back for whatever reason primarily to service the needs of industries, the wealthy elite and politicians, and various business interests. then reading a story in the NY Times that New Orleans might be rebuilt whiter and smaller it looks like the thoughts expressed more than 5 years ago were right on target.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com